August 31, 2014

A NOTE FROM FATHER TORQUATO

Jesus’ words in the Gospel this Sunday remind us of a very
important question: are our lives primarily about our life on this earth, or
are our lives now only a small part of the existence that is given to each of
us?

If our lives are only about the years that we live in this
present age, then we might live only for this existence. However, if there‘s a
life that follows these years, and if we do believe in an eternal Kingdom that
the Lord promises, then our entire approach to life and reality is very, very
different.

If we do believe in the Christian Good News of Jesus’
Resurrection and his promise that his faithful people will join him in the
Resurrection and in the Kingdom, then our focus will be directed beyond this life
and this world to the reign of God that will be our final and everlasting
destiny

May we live according to the directives of Jesus, and may we
remain close to him each day so that when he does complete his work, we will be
found worthy of joining him in God’s eternal Kingdom promised to us. God bless!

—Father Jim Torquato

NOVEMBER PARISH MEN’S RETREAT

Mark your calendar now and reserve time for this year’s
Men’s Retreat at the Saint Paul of the Cross Retreat Center on the South Side
during the weekend of Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, November 21-23. This
is a very good opportunity to recharge your spiritual life in quiet reflection,
conversation, presentations, Liturgy, and prayer. The theme of this year’s
retreat is “Bringing Hope and Compassion to a Hurting World.” If
you’d like more information, please contact Jim Fanning (412-492-8147 or
jim.fanning@NM.com) OR Bob Auray (412-406-8800).

MORE CHOIR MEMBERS STILL NEEDED

Soon, both of our Sunday choirs will begin their rehearsals
and their singing on Sunday mornings. We’d really like to add new choir members
to both groups. The 11a.m. Choir is particularly in need of additional men’s
voices. NO audition is required. Contact Sister Pat Baker today! Help us
to continue our long tradition of gracious service to our parish community
through the Music Ministry!

CONSIDERING DISCIPLESHIP IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

We encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors to
enter the Church if they are not Catholic Christians or are not yet baptized.
There are many men and women who are interested in the Lord Jesus and in the
community of the Church. Many of them are simply waiting to be welcomed to join
us in our faith, in our Catholic community, and in the Kingdom of God. We
are accepting inquiries now for our Adult Catholic Initiation process.
Interested individual are asked to contact our parish office soon!

OBSERVING LABOR DAY

Each Labor Day, the United States Bishops publish a
statement. This year’s was written by Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami,
Florida. Archbishop Wenski notes that the slowly recovering economy has left
many behind as 46 million Americans struggle to make ends meet.

Young adults, in particular, have borne the brunt of unemployment
and underemployment. “For those fortunate to have jobs,” he notes, “many pay
poorly. Greater numbers of debt-strapped college graduates move back in with
their parents, while high school graduates and others may have less debt but
very few decent job opportunities.”

The archbishop points out that “meaningful and decent work
is vital if young adults hope to form healthy and stable families.” Marriage
rates have declined by 40% among young adults over the last 40 years, and the
birth rate is at an all-time low. Many young adults, “because they are unable
to find decent work, are delaying marriage and starting a family.”

Archbishop Wenski calls on us to commit ourselves to the
common good and to solidarity with others. He writes: “Supporting polices and
institutions that create decent jobs, pay just wages, and support family
formation and stability will also honor the dignity of workers. Raising the
minimum wage, more and better workforce training programs, and smarter
regulations that minimize unintended consequences would be good places to
start.”

— from Andy Bechman

2014 MASS INTENTIONS STILL AVAILABLE

Before we schedule Mass Intentions for 2015 beginning in
October, please know that there are numerous weekday and Sunday Mass Intentions
still available for 2014!

If you’d like to schedule a Mass Intention to be offered for
a family member or friend (especially those who are deceased), please contact
the parish office this month. The donation for each Mass Intention is still
$10. Thank you for scheduling Mass Intentions for your loved ones!

THE WORD OF GOD IN HUMAN WORDS

If you ever watch or listen to programs featuring
fundamentalists talking about the Bible, you have probably heard their simple
and seemingly logical argument saying that “The Bible is the Word of God.
God is truthful. Therefore, everything in the Bible must be true.” So then
Adam and Eve were persons who lived in a garden about 6000 years ago, and there
was a man named Methuselah who lived 969 years, and a prophet named Jonah spent
three days inside a large fish before moving the Assyrian king to repentance
before the God of Israel.

The problem with this approach is that it ignores the human
dimensions of the Scriptures. As the Pontifical Biblical Commission wrote
in a 1993 document, a fundamentalist interpretation of the Scriptures “refuses
to admit that the inspired Word of God has been expressed in human language and
that this Word has been expressed. under divine inspiration, by human authors
possessed of limited capacities and resources. For this reason, it tends to
treat the biblical text as if it had been dictated word for word by the Spirit.
It fails to recognize that the Word of God has been formulated in language and
expression conditioned by various
periods.”

—from Andy
Bechman

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION / CCD REGISTRATION

Our Religious Education Program will begin on Sunday,
September 21 with this year’s Catechetical Sunday.

• You can register online at the Parish website here.
The registration fee is $100.00. Please contact Mrs. Jamie Dillon if you have
questions.

ADULT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED THIS TUESDAY

This Tuesday, September 2, at 9:30 am, our Religious
Education program would benefit from the help of several adult volunteers to
help prepare materials for the CCD year. Please come by the Pastoral Center
hall and lend a hand!

OUR PARISH YOUTH LITURGIES

On September 20 at 5:00 pm, we’ll again host Youth Group
Liturgies here in the church. If any students would like to participate in
leading the singing or by playing an instrument, please contact Mrs. Dillon
this week.

A cookout will follow the September 20 Liturgy to celebrate
Catechetical Sunday. A special invitation is extended to our Home Study
families!

ADULT / TEEN CATECHISTS STILL NEEDED

We also need small group leaders for Sixth, Seventh, and
Eighth Grade CCD student groups. Call now for info.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION MEETING

On Sunday, September 21, at 12 noon, a meeting will be held
in the Pastoral Center hall for all Confirmation candidates and your parents.
Please be sure to attend!

CHILDREN’S LITURGY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

After Labor Day, the Sunday Children’s Liturgy of the Word
for children ages 4-10 will resume during the 9:00 am Liturgy. We are now
seeking volunteers to lead or serve as assistants. You can have an impact by
sharing the Word of God with the young children of our parish.

In addition to adults, we are also seeking high school and
middle school students to serve as well. If you’re interested in learning more,
please contact Natalie Gillespie at childrensliturgy@saintscholastica.com.
Thank you!

BIBLE READINGS FOR THIS WEEK

This Sunday: Jeremiah 20:7-9 / Romans 12:1-2 / and Matthew 16:21-27

Monday—Saturday: I Corinthians ch. 2-4 / Luke 4-6

Next Sunday: Ezekiel 33:7-9 / Romans 13:8-10 / and Matthew 18:15-20

AN EVENING WITH FATHER ROBERT DUCH

On Tuesday evening, September 23 at 7:00 pm, our Aquinas
Guild invites all women of the parish to gather for their first meeting of the
year. In addition to their meeting, a presentation and discussion by Father Bob
Duch will be offered. The topic will be Father Duch’s new book “God, What do
You Think of Me?” You don’t need to reply or even read Father’s book.
Simply come for a special evening with the Aquinas Guild and Father Bob Duch.

THIS YEAR’S WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Looking for an opportunity to enrich your faith and
spiritual life? Consider signing up for our women’s Bible Study of the Book of
Revelation. An orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 1:00 pm in
the Parish Hall. On hand will be study participants and a copy of the study
text. Each session includes a video presentation by a Bible scholar as well as
other commentary. The study is 25 weeks with time off for holidays. Regular
Tuesday gatherings are 1:00-3:00 pm with usually 20-40 participants. The cost
for the study text is $55. Feel free to attend the September 9 orientation. No
reply is necessary. Call Bernadine (412-963-0198) with any questions!

OUR PARISH MOTORCOACH FOR THE OCTOBER 4th DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO THE
NATIONAL SHRINE

On Saturday, October 4, we will join in the biannual pilgrimage
to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, DC. For more than 20 years, this has been a special day of prayer
and a way to introduce more of our Church members and families to this amazing
Shrine built by the Catholics of the United States to honor Mary, the Mother of
God.

Led by Father Torquato, our bus will depart early on October
4. We will have an opportunity to tour the National Shrine and the nearby Saint
John Paul II Center. We will celebrate the Sunday Liturgy with Bishop Zubik,
and then we will return home that same night. There are 52 seats available.
Thanks to a parish subsidy, the donation is only $25 per person, and a boxed
dinner will be served on the bus during the trip back to Pittsburgh. To reserve
a seat, please call the parish office this week! Join us!

ARE YOUR PARISH MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION UP TO DATE?

We need to keep our membership files up to date. If you’re
not sure whether or not your registration information is current, or if you
need to register here at Saint Scholastica Parish, please call Amy at our
parish office this month. We will be conducting a complete parish census in the
coming years, but we’d like to have everyone’s registration up to date now!
Thanks for your assistance!

During the summer, fewer donations are made to the local
homeless ministry due to so many members and families being on vacation during
the summer months, Your help is still needed to feed and to clothe the poor.
Items needed include: macaroni and cheese, canned fruit and vegetables (pull
tab cans) canned red or black beans, peanut butter, breakfast bars, and cereal.
Please also check the parish website here
for information. Donation bins are located in the church entrance.Please . . . Donations may only be handed to volunteers between 10 a.m.
and noon on Mondays and Fridays at the SIDE DOOR of 316 Third St.,
Aspinwall. Again, we ask that no donation be left anywhere outside of
either 316 or 318 Third St. Thank you for helping us help others!

GOOD NEWS FROM OUR ACADEMY!

THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OFF TO A GREAT START!

Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy has begun what
will be a very full year of faith, learning, and growth.

The first school Liturgy of this year will be celebrated on
Friday, September 5 at 8:30 am.

Also, our school year’s opening family picnic will be held
at Squaw Run Park this Thursday, September 4 at 6:00 pm.

Information about our Academy will be shared each week with
all of our parish community in the parish bulletin.

Registrations are still being accepted, and tours of the
school can be arranged in these days. Please contact the Academy office
at 412-781-7927 or office@cdtca.org.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FALL FLING

Please mark your calendars for Friday, November 14, 2014 and
join Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy as it presents, "Light Up
the Night" at the Pittsburgh Field Club. CDTCA's annual Fall Fling
fundraiser promises to be a fun-filled evening with great auction items and
delicious food stations. Contact Dani Folino (danifolino@verizon.net) with any
questions or to make a donation to the auction. Thank you in advance for your
support of CDTCA!